Go listen to NPR John McChesney's report on Minnesota National Guard families collapsing at 22 month Iraq deployments. Commander: "The sad reality is: we are crushing families."

Update: And then go read this:

The 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard recently ended a 22-month tour of duty in Iraq, the longest deployment of any ground-combat unit in the Armed Forces. Many of its members returned home, looking forward to using education benefits under the GI bill. ...

It's not working that way. The Guard troops have been told that in order to be eligible for the education benefits they expect, they had to serve 730 days in Iraq. They served 729. ...

Minnesota's congressional delegation is apoplectic, and the Army has vowed to look into the matter, but the troops are understandably suspicious that they were deliberately brought home after 729 days so the Pentagon could deny them GI Bill benefits.

One shares their fury at the administration and Pentagon which jerks troops around that way. Deeply shameful.

Posted by Laura at October 4, 2007 09:19 AM